News & Insights

Practice Area: Employment

Ninth Circuit Holds Tip Credit Cannot Apply To Certain Types Of Work

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (“FLSA”) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping requirements and child labor standards.  It also allows employers to take a “tip credit,” in certain tipped occupations, such as a server, in order to offset the employer’s obligation to pay hourly minimum wage.  Employers can pay as little as…
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Eleventh Circuit Expands Application Of The Flsa

After a recent Eleventh Circuit decision in Asalde v. First Class Parking Systems LLC 894 F.3d 1248 (11th Cir. 2018), more employers are subject to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). In Asalde, Plaintiffs were valet car drivers who sued their employer alleging violations of the FLSA. The trial court granted summary…
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Supreme Court Holds Adea Still Applies To Small County Employer

The United States Supreme Court resolved a split among Circuit Courts on the question of whether the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) applies to state and federal political entities with fewer than 20 employees.  In Mount Lemmon Fire Dist. v. Guido, 586 U.S. ____ (2018), the Court unanimously held that the ADEA applies to…
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Tenth Circuit Affirms Courts Can Hear Suits Without Eeoc Charges

Most cases involving allegations of workplace discrimination under the federal anti-discrimination statutes are first brought to light through a plaintiff’s filing of a Charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”).  Through Title VII, Congress established a procedure requiring an individual seeking to file an employment discrimination claim to first file a charge with the…
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Eleventh Circuit Affirms Convincing Mosaic Standard

Most cases involving allegations of discipline or discharge based on discrimination are brought under the disparate treatment theory.  In a case of disparate treatment under Title VII, an individual initially establishes a prima facie case of intentional discrimination.  In the Eleventh Circuit, a plaintiff may establish a prima facie case of discrimination by showing: (1)…
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Department Of Labor Issues New Guidance Regarding Nurses And Caregivers As Independent Contractors

Health care registry companies provide matchmaking and referral services for qualified, pre-screened and vetted home caregivers.  They often also provide administrative services.  As part of the “gig economy,” health care registries often tread a fine line between classifying caregivers as independent contractors or employers.  On July 13, 2018, the Wage and Hour Division of the…
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Supreme Court Affirms Validity Of Employment Agreements Containing Waivers For Class Or Collective Actions

On May 21, 2018, in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, the Supreme Court upheld the enforceability of arbitration agreements containing class and collective action waivers of wage and hour disputes.  In deciding the case, the majority held that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) mandates the enforcement of arbitration agreements and the right to pursue class…
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Recent Changes In Department Of Labor Tip Pool Rule

The recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act (“CAA”) put an end to an ongoing controversy over the status of a proposed Department of Labor (“DOL”) tip rule and the underlying dispute over whether employers who do not claim the tip credit against the federal minimum wage may be prohibited from including non-tipped employees in mandatory tip…
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Further Circuit Split Regarding Sexual Orientation Discrimination Under Title Vii

In recent years, a Circuit Court split has emerged regarding whether Title VII prohibits discrimination based solely on sexual orientation.  On February 26, 2018, the Justices of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals heard an appeal seeking reinstatement of a Title VII claim brought by the estate of a former employee, Donald Zarda (“Mr. Zarda”). …
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